Govt offers bank support to ease labour pressure
Business Report :
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has directed factory owners to clear February wages within the first seven working days of March and pay festival bonuses by 12 March to ease labour tensions ahead of Eid.
Labour Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury announced the decision after a meeting of the Tripartite Consultative Committee held on Tuesday at CIRDAP on Topkhana Road in the capital.
The meeting focused on resolving long-standing wage arrears, particularly in the readymade garment (RMG) sector, and restoring stability in the industrial landscape.
Sources said the ministry also encouraged factory owners to engage in dialogue with workers and consider paying half of the current month’s wages in advance.
The move comes against the backdrop of persistent wage delays, with around 150 RMG factories reportedly yet to clear wages for December 2025 as of 2 March 2026.
Officials stressed that timely payments are critical to maintaining industrial peace and avoiding disruptions during the peak festive season.
Following the meeting, Fazlee Shamim Ehsan-executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation, said employers had agreed to pay February wages within the legal timeframe and to release festival bonuses by 12 March.
However, he noted that factory owners had sought an additional two to three days to settle bonus payments due to financial strain.
He also said the government had advised managements to decide Eid holidays through consultation with workers to ensure consensus and smooth operations.
Earlier, Bangladesh Bank has stepped in to support wage payments by directing all scheduled banks to provide special, easy-term loans to export-oriented industries that export at least 80 percent of their output.
According to a circular issued on Tuesday, the loan amount will be equivalent to the average wages and allowances paid by an enterprise over the previous three months. The central bank said a combination of global and domestic economic pressures such as falling exports, delayed purchase orders, and liquidity shortages has disrupted production in many export-driven industries, putting pressure on wage payments.
To safeguard production continuity and sustain exports, banks will be allowed to extend term loans beyond existing working capital limits.
These loans will carry prevailing market-based interest rates with no additional charges, be disbursed directly to workers’ bank or mobile financial service (MFS) accounts, and be repaid in equal monthly or quarterly instalments within one year, including a three-month grace period.
Eligibility for the facility requires certification from either the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association or BKMEA.
